Metropolitan Underwriting Discussion (MUD) Group Hosts 38th Annual Meeting In New York City

235 ATTENDEES DISCUSS TRENDS AND MEDICAL CONDITIONS IMPACTING THE LIFE INSURANCE INDUSTRY’S ABILITY TO MEASURE RISK

January 30, 2008 - New York City, NY— The Board of Directors for the Metropolitan Underwriters Discussion Group (MUD) announced the successful completion of their 38th annual meeting.  MUD is a discussion group populated by all levels of underwriters including recently hired junior underwriting staff to senior risk management officers from all of the life insurers in the Metropolitan New York and New Jersey, Connecticut region and beyond.  Insurers such as AIG, Aviva Life, MetLife, New York Life, as well as reinsurers such as Gen Re LifeHealth and Swiss Re, and service providers such as Parameds.com comprise the MUD Board.  This year was the highest number to attend a MUD meeting since 1946.

The two day program offered insights into industry trends such as:

• Life Settlements/Viaticals
• Outsourced Underwriting and APS Summaries
• The Underwriter as Marketeer
• Critical Illness Riders
• Understanding Mental Illness
• Financial Underwriting

Insurance Medical Officers also covered the latest medical related information in condition specific workshops:

• Lymphomas
• Mitral Valve Disease
• Diabetes
• EBCT & CTA
• Laboratory Testing the Elderly
• Mortality & Advancements in Medicine

Attendees came from numerous states outside of the Tri-State region and joined us from locations such as CA, OR, TX, OH, PA, NH and ME.  In addition to life insurance, a broad range of products such as disability, long term care, and critical illness were also represented.  “The MUD meeting continues to provide an important forum to discuss the evolution of the life insurance industry and risk management in a region where an incredible number of life insurance applications are underwritten every day”, said Eli Rowe, CEO of Parameds.com and member of the MUD Board.  “We are proud of MUD’s contribution to advancing the science of insurance underwriting and look forward to many more years of successful discussion group meetings.”

The Mission Statement of MUD reads: “The Metropolitan Underwriting Discussion Group, Inc. is dedicated to the education of its members and the dissemination of information for the public benefit.”  MUD’s 2009 annual meeting will be held in New York City January 25th-27th.  To learn more about the Metropolitan Underwriters Discussion Group (MUD) or to obtain conference materials, please visit the website at http://www.mudgroup.org.

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